法苑珠林 32

English (machine translation) 32

Language: English

32.1

Compiled by Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

32.2

Chapter 25: Transformations
Chapter 26: Sleep and Dreams

32.3

Chapter on Transformations (This has three sections)

32.4

Section on Expressing the Intent
Section on Pervasive Transformations
Section on Repelling Desires

32.5

Section on Expressing the Intent, the First

The function of the sage is mysterious, pervasive, and unobstructed, eliciting responses in manifold ways; it cannot be sought by a single path, nor can it be deduced by a single principle. Therefore, coarse [faculties] are responded to with the coarse, and subtle [faculties] are responded to with the subtle; that coarse and subtle accord with the capacities [of beings] is a principle that is naturally so. The reason why they emit great light and manifest various divine transformations is to respond to the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions who are about to inherit the exalted rank. If they are to dwell among the secular, receive the coarse, subdue the heterodox, and bring them to the correct, they must further adapt to conditions and transform pervasively, measuring and matching the dispositions of beings; unable to awaken them by pointing to phenomena through profound principle, they manifest inconceivable bodily forms in order to block inconceivable obstinate views. For instance, when a sage also enters among deer and horses to deliver them, while among deer and horses, how could he be identical to deer and horses? If he were not different from deer and horses, he would be of the common stream at that time, and clearly there would be no need for these divine transformations.

32.7

Section on Pervasive Transformations, the Second

32.8

As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'Sons of the Buddha, just as one Tathāgata's single transformation body turns such ineffable clouds of the wheel of the Dharma of analogies, measuring all worlds such as the entire realm of phenomena and space with the tip of a hair, in each place of a hair-tip, in thought after thought, he manifests bodies equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands, and so on until the kalpas at the end of the future; each transformation Buddha-body has heads equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; each head has tongues equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; each tongue emits sounds equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; each sound expounds sūtras equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; each sūtra expounds teachings equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; in each teaching, he expounds collection of phrases and collection of syllables equal to the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha-lands; and further, for ineffable-ineffable kalpas equal to the dust motes of Buddha-lands, he expounds distinct collections of phrases and syllables, the sounds filling the realm of phenomena, so that among all sentient beings there is none who does not hear them, constantly turning the wheel of the Dharma unto the ends of the future. The Tathāgata's voice is undifferentiated, uninterrupted, and inexhaustible. This is the Dharma in which dwells the Buddha of the Great Strength Nārāyaṇa Banner of all Buddhas.'

32.9

Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: "All Buddhas possess eight kinds of subtle and wonderful voices. Each voice is accompanied by five hundred retinues of wonderful voices, adorned with incalculable hundreds of thousands of voices. Limitless and boundless wonderful musical voices are all pure, universally capable of expounding the taste of the meaning of the true Dharma of all Buddhas. They are entirely free from fear, dwelling securely in the fearless, great lion's roar, causing all sentient beings throughout the entire dharmadhātu, upon hearing their voices, to attain opening and awakening in accordance with their original practices and various roots of goodness. This is the supreme and unexcelled adornment of the bodily karma of speech of all Buddhas."

32.10

Furthermore, the Chuchu jing states: "When the Buddha smiled at that time, five-coloured light issued from his mouth for five reasons: first, because he wished to prompt someone to ask a question, and the question would be beneficial; second, for fear that people might say the Buddha does not know how to smile; third, in order to display the light within his mouth; fourth, to smile at those who lack sincere earnestness; fifth, to smile at the arhats who cling to emptiness and do not attain the bodhisattva path. That the light returned and entered through the crown of his head was to display great illumination to people of the future."

32.11

Furthermore, the Xinming jing spoken by the Buddha states: "At that time, the World-Honoured One smiled for the sake of the brahmacārin, and five-coloured light issued from his mouth, illuminating the beings of the ten directions and five destinies. Those whose aspirations were earnest rejoiced in their hearts; it made the hungry ghosts sated, relieved the pains of hell, opened the minds of animals, and eliminated their sins. Following the light, they came to the place of the Buddha. The smiling of all Buddhas invariably displays regular auspicious signs: if bestowing a prediction upon a bodhisattva, the light shines universally through the ten directions and enters through the crown of the head; if bestowing a prediction upon a pratyekabuddha, the light enters the mouth; if bestowing a prediction upon a śrāvaka, the light enters the hollows of the shoulders; if speaking of rebirth in heaven, the light enters from the navel; if speaking of descent into the human realm, the light enters from the knees; if speaking of heading into the three painful realms, the light enters from the soles of the feet. The joy of all Buddhas is not a smile of desire, nor a smile of anger, nor a smile of folly, nor a smile of negligence, nor a smile of longing for gain, nor a smile of honor and rank, nor a smile of wealth. Now the Buddha, with universal equality, feels pity for the multitude of living beings and smiles while practicing great benevolence; he is devoid of these seven [unwholesome smiles]."

32.12

Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: "When the Buddha first turned the wheel of the Dharma, the Bodhisattva Yingchi came from another world system, wishing to measure the Buddha's body. He ascended past space and through limitless Buddha-lands until he reached the Padmottarā world, where he saw the Buddha's body just as it had been before. Thereupon he spoke a gāthā:"

32.13

Space has no boundaries, / And the Buddha's merit is likewise. / Were one to wish to measure the Buddha's body, / It would be in vain, never to be exhausted. / Ascending past the realm of space / And limitless Buddha-lands, / I behold the body of the Śākya Lion / Just as before, unchanged. / The Buddha's body is like a golden mountain, / Emitting great illumination; / Adorned by the primary and secondary marks, / Just like spring flowers blossoming.

32.14

Furthermore, the Chuchu jing states: "When the Buddha was in the world, the devas, ghosts and spirits, nāgas, and human beings all went to the Buddha's place. Those listening to the sutras stood in hundreds of thousands of ranks; from front and rear, all saw the Buddha's face. Why is this? Because in his previous lifetimes, the Buddha's speech had no front or back [bias]. For this reason, there were none who did not behold the Buddha's face. When humans sleep, their heads invariably follow the Buddha's location, out of reverence for the Buddha's supremacy."

32.15

Section 3: Disgust with Desire

32.16

As the Da zhuangyan famen jing states: At that time, in Rājagṛha, there was a courtesan named Jinse (Suvarṇā). Her radiance and dignity were awe-inspiring. Due to the causal conditions of her past roots of goodness, her appearance was upright and fully possessed of all fine features. Her body was of genuine golden color, shining brilliantly; her deportment was charming and beautiful, rare in the world. Her spiritual wisdom was keen and sharp, her eloquence unobstructed, and her speech clear, wonderful, deep, and gentle. When she spoke she was ever smiling. Wherever she walked, golden light illuminated the place; the garments she wore were also all golden. All people who saw her became attached in their hearts with fond love, unable to forsake her; wherever she strolled, they all followed her. There was an elder's son named Shangweide. For the sake of sensual pleasure, he gave her abundant wealth and treasures, made an agreement with her, and in adorned carriages they went to a park. At that time, Jinse had an unseen sympathetic resonance due to past conditions: Mañjuśrī, to transform her and cause her to enter the Path, because of his sovereign spiritual transformations, rested her head upon Weide's lap and fell asleep. Immediately, by his spiritual power, he manifested the appearance of death in that resting place: swollen, stinking, and putrid, it could hardly be approached. In a moment, the abdomen burst, the liver and intestines split open, and the five viscera were exposed, foul and repellent. Impurities flowed and spilled from the passages of stool and urine, and flies and worms pecked and fed upon all her sense organs and limbs, defying description. At that time, the elder's son, seeing this corpse, gave rise to great terror, and his bodily hairs stood on end. He had this thought: 'I am now without salvation. Looking in all four directions, there is no place of refuge.' His terror redoubled, and he let out a great cry of fright. That elder's son gave rise to great fright and terror for two reasons: first, he had never before seen such a repulsive sight, and therefore felt terror; second, the multitude knew that he had come together with her here, and now that she had suddenly died, they would assume he had deliberately killed her, and King Ajātaśatru, not examining the truth of this matter, would unjustly execute him—for this reason he felt terror. At that time, the elder's son was alone in this grove, not seeing a single person. Among all ordinary beings and sages, who could rescue him? Although that elder's son's past roots of goodness were ripe, because he had not heard or seen the Dharma expounded by Mañjuśrī together with Jinse, Mañjuśrī immediately used his spiritual power to make all the trees in the grove expound a gāthā. After the elder's son heard it, he rejoiced greatly in his heart, feeling deeply fortunate. Abandoning the corpse, he came out of the grove, went immediately to the Buddha's place, and recounted in full the circumstances of his fright. At that time, the Buddha said to the elder's son: 'Do not grieve or fear. I shall bestow upon you all fearlessness. If you take refuge in the Buddha, there will be no fear at all.' The elder's son said to the Buddha: 'From what do all fright and terror arise?' The Buddha said: 'They arise from the causal conditions of greed, anger, and folly. You should know that all fears are without owner, without creator, and without any grasper. Where is your former sensual perception now?' The elder's son said: 'What was seen here as fine form is an evil perception to which ordinary people greedily cling; in the holy Dharma, there is no such thing.' Thereupon the Buddha expounded the Dharma to him through various skillful means. At that time, the elder's son attained the patience of compliance with the Dharma. Then Jinse, knowing that the elder's son had already received instruction and transformation, adorned five hundred horse carriages, surrounded in front and behind, and came to the Buddha's place, stepping back to stand to one side.

32.17

At that time, Mañjuśrī asked the elder's son: 'Do you recognise this sister?' The elder's son said: 'I now truly recognise her.' Mañjuśrī said: 'How do you recognise her?' At that time, the elder's son turned to Mañjuśrī and spoke a gāthā:

32.18

I see form like foam on water, / And all feelings are like bubbles; / I observe perception to be like a mirage— / Thus do I recognise her. / I see mental formations like a plantain tree, / And consciousness like an illusion; / 'Woman' is a mere nominal designation— / Thus do I recognise her. / The body is insensate like wood, / And also like grass, tiles, and rubble; / The mind cannot be seen— / Thus do I recognise her. / Ordinary people are as if intoxicated, / Perversely generating evil perceptions; / The wise are not defiled by them— / Thus do I recognise her. / Like that corpse in the grove, / Putrid, repulsive, and impure, / The nature of the physical body is like this— / Thus do I recognise her. / What is past originally did not perish; / What is future is also unproduced; / What is present does not abide for a moment— / Thus do I recognise her. / Mañjuśrī should listen carefully: / Her kindness can hardly be repaid. / Formerly I was full of lust and desire, / But seeing impurity I was liberated. / Her body did not truly die; / To transform me she manifested death. / Showing it out of pity for the multitude, / Who that sees it would not bring forth the mind [of bodhi]? / In this way, greed, anger, and folly, / As well as all afflictions— / To realize the nature of phenomena as such / Is excellent, profound, and subtle indeed.

32.19

At that time, the Buddha told Ānanda: 'This woman Jinse and this man Shangweide were already taught and transformed in the past, causing them to generate bodhi; now, hearing the Dharma again, they have attained the patience of compliance with the Dharma. In a future age, after ninety hundred thousand kalpas have passed, this woman Jinse will become a Buddha named Ratnaprabha Tathāgata. The elder's son Weide, in the presence of the Buddha Ratnaprabha, will attain a bodhisattva's body named Prabhāguṇa. After Ratnaprabha's parinirvāṇa, he will become a Buddha named Ratnārciṣ Tathāgata.'

32.20

Furthermore, the Guan Fo sanmei jing says: The Buddha told Ānanda, “Formerly, during my summer retreat, there was a courtesan in the city of Vārāṇasī named Miaoyi (Subhadramatī), who stayed in an upper chamber. In the past she had a karmic connection with the Buddha. At that time, the World-Honoured One manifested three youths, all fifteen years of age, whose features were handsome and upright, surpassing all human beings in the world. When this woman saw them, her body and mind were filled with joy. She said: ‘O noble sirs, this house of mine is like [the dwelling of] the goddess Puṇyalakṣmī, rich and self-sufficient, adorned with many treasures. I now offer my own body together with my male and female servants to you, noble sirs, to serve for your sweeping and sprinkling. If you will condescend to accept me and comply with my wishes, I shall supply everything without begrudging anything.’ Having spoken these words, the transformed person went to the bed. Before even the space of a meal had passed, the woman came forward intimately and said: ‘Noble sir, I pray that you satisfy my desires.’ The transformed person did not refuse, complying with her wish. Having drawn close, for a day and a night his heart felt no fatigue or aversion. By the second day, her lustful passion gradually subsided. By the third day, she said: ‘Noble sir, you may arise and take food and drink.’ The transformed person immediately arose, yet clung to her without ceasing. The woman gave rise to revulsion and regret, saying: ‘Noble sir, you are unusually extraordinary to be like this!’ The transformed person told her: ‘The rule of my former lives is that whenever I unite with a woman, only after twelve days do I rest.’ When the woman heard these words, she felt like a person choking on food, unable either to vomit it out or to swallow it down; her body suffered severe pain as if pounded by a pestle. By the fourth day, it was as if she were run over by a cart. By the fifth day, it was as if iron pellets had entered her body. By the sixth day, all her joints ached as if arrows had pierced her heart. The woman thought to herself: ‘I have heard people say that in the city of Kapilavastu, Prince Śuddhodana's son has a purple-golden body with the thirty-two marks; he has pity on the blind and ignorant and saves suffering people; he is constantly in this city, always performing works of blessing and salvation, radiating golden light to rescue all people. Why does he not come today to save me? From this day forth until the end of my life, I will never again be covetous of lust. I would rather share a cave with tigers and wolves than covet carnal desire and suffer this misery.’ The transformed person also grew angry: ‘Fie, you vile woman! You disrupt my undertakings! Now that my body is united in one place with yours, it would be better to die soon. If my parents and kinsmen come searching, where could I hide myself? I would rather undergo death than endure such disgrace!’ The woman said: ‘I have no use for this wretched thing. If you wish to die, do as you please.’ At that moment, the transformed person took a knife and stabbed his throat. Blood flowed in torrents, defiling the woman's body, and he collapsed limp onto the ground; the woman could not bear [the weight]. On the second day, it turned dark blue and bruised; on the third day, it swelled up; on the fourth day, it putrefied and burst; on the fifth day, it gradually rotted away; on the sixth day, the flesh fell off; on the seventh day, there remained only foul-smelling bones, sticking to the woman's body like glue and lacquer. All kinds of feces and urine and evil maggots, spattering blood and purulent fluid smeared all over the woman's body. The woman felt utmost disgust and horror, yet could not detach from it. The woman made a vow: ‘If the gods, ṛṣis, or Prince Śuddhodana can relieve my suffering, I will give away all the rare treasures of this house as alms.’ As she had this thought, the Buddha, leading Ānanda and Nanda, with Śakra in front and King Brahmā behind, radiated his constant light, illuminating heaven and earth. The entire great assembly saw the Tathāgata proceed to this woman's upper chamber. When the woman saw the Buddha, she was filled with shame and remorse, with nowhere to hide the bones. She took white cotton fabrics and wrapped the foul corpse, but the stench remained as before and could not be concealed. Seeing the World-Honoured One, the woman paid homage to the Buddha; out of shame, her body concealed the bones beneath her, yet the foul bones suddenly appeared upon her back. Overwhelmed with shame, the woman wept and said: ‘The Tathāgata's merit, kindness, and compassion are immeasurable. If you can cause me to leave this suffering, I vow to become your disciple and never backslide in my resolution.’ By the Buddha's supernatural power, the foul bones disappeared. The woman rejoiced greatly; she paid homage to the Buddha and addressed him, saying: ‘World-Honoured One, I now offer everything precious to me as a gift to the Buddha.’ The Buddha made a blessing for her, his Brahmā voice flowing smoothly. When the woman heard the blessing, her heart rejoiced greatly, and she immediately attained the path of a srotaāpanna. Five hundred attending maidservants, upon hearing the Buddha's voice, all gave rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Immeasurable multitudes of Brahmā gods, upon seeing the Buddha's supernatural transformation, attained the patience of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattikadharmakṣānti). Among the gods led by Śakra, some gave rise to the aspiration for bodhi, and some attained the fruit of anāgāmin.”

32.21

Furthermore, the Baiyuan jing says: When the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Śrāvastī, a guild-master's wife gave birth to a boy whose appearance was exceedingly ugly, resembling an evil demon. Anyone who saw him abandoned him and walked away. As he gradually grew older, his parents came to loathe him and drove him away to be discarded afar. Even beasts, seeing his ugliness, still harboured fear; how much more so humans! On another occasion, he went into the forest to gather fruit to support himself. Flying birds and running beasts all fled in terror, completely vanishing with no trace remaining. The World-Honoured One, out of compassionate thought, led the bhikṣus to the forest intending to deliver him. Seeing the Buddha, he fled to evade him, but the Buddha used his supernatural power so that he could not leave. At that time, the bhikṣus were sitting cross-legged beneath the trees, concentrating their thoughts. The World-Honoured One transformed himself into an ugly man, holding an alms bowl filled with food. He gradually approached the ugly man, whose heart was delighted to see a form resembling his own: ‘This person is truly my companion!’ He sought to speak with him and eat from the same bowl. After they finished eating, the transformed person suddenly became handsome and upright. The ugly man asked: ‘Why have you now suddenly become handsome and upright?’ The transformed person answered: ‘I ate this food and, with a good heart, gazed upon those bhikṣus sitting in dhyāna beneath the trees, which caused me to become handsome and upright.’ When the ugly man heard this, he immediately imitated him, and instantly became handsome and upright. His heart was filled with delight, and he gave rise to deep faith and understanding toward the transformed person. Thereupon, the transformed person reverted to his original ugly form. [The man then] saw the Buddha's thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics, his light shining everywhere like hundreds of thousands of suns. He came forward, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side. The Buddha immediately expounded various teachings for him, and he attained the fruit of a srotaāpanna. Thereupon, before the Buddha, he sought to leave the household life. The Buddha said to him, ‘Welcome, bhikṣu!’ His hair and beard fell away of themselves, the kāṣāya appeared upon his body, and he immediately became a śramaṇa. Diligently practising, he attained the fruit of an arhat. When the bhikṣus saw this, they asked the Buddha to explain his past causes and conditions. The Buddha told the bhikṣus: ‘In the past, immeasurable kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world named Puṣya, who sat cross-legged beneath a tree. Maitreya and I were both bodhisattvas who went to that Buddha's dwelling to make various offerings; raising one foot, during seven days I spoke verses praising the Buddha:’

32.22

‘In the heavens and throughout the world, there is none like the Buddha;
In the worlds of the ten directions, there is likewise none.
Everything existing in the world can be seen,
Yet there is none that can equal one such as the Buddha.’

32.23

‘At that time, after the Bodhisattva spoke these verses, a spirit in that mountain assumed an ugly form to terrify me. By supernatural power, I made the place where he walked turn into precipitous cliffs and dangerous crags, so that he could not pass. At that time, the mountain spirit thought: “Because I terrified another with an evil mind, I am now made to face dangerous and difficult paths that cannot be traversed. I should now go to him and repent of my former transgression.” Having thought this, he immediately went there, and after finishing his repentance, made a vow and departed.’ The Buddha told the bhikṣus: ‘You should know that because that mountain spirit terrified me, for five hundred lives his bodily form was ugly, so that whoever saw him fled in alarm. Because of that repentance, he has now encountered me, left the household life, and attained the path.’ When the bhikṣus heard this, they rejoiced and put it into practice.

32.24

The verse says:

32.25

The Great Sage's divine transformations
Dispel ignorance in accordance with circumstances;
His brilliance flourishingly displays,
Awakening in accord with affinity.
Whether subduing those of heterodox ways,
Or manifesting supernatural powers,
Concealing or revealing to benefit beings,
He thereby models the loftiest trace.
The multitude of living beings cease their slander,
Resonating and awakening in great flourishing;
Secretly operating at ease,
Those who see him give rise to reverence.
Rare it is to encounter this sage,
A spiritual umbrella peerless across generations;
Living beings who possess fortune
Meet with this auspicious merit.

32.26

Circumstances of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing twenty-five verifications)

32.27

General account of the diverse transformations of divine marvels:
In the Zhou, there was Zuo Ci who could transform;
At Mount Sheduo, there was an emperor's daughter who could transform;
Gun of the Xia and Prince Ruyi of Zhao transformed;
During King Xiang of Wei's years, there was a woman who transformed;
During the Jianping era of the Han, there was a man who transformed;
During the Jian'an era of the Han, there was a man who transformed;
During the Yuankang era of the Jin, there was a woman who transformed;
During the times of Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai of the Jin, there were men and women who transformed;
During Emperor Jing of the Han's time, there was a person who transformed;
During Emperor Xuan of the Han's time, there was a chicken that transformed;
During the Taikang era of the Jin, there were fiddler crabs and river crabs that transformed;
In Confucius's Hall of Strings and Songs in Chen, there was a catfish that transformed;
In the Liang dynasty, the wife of the layman Wei Ying, née Liang, remarried and transformed;
Under the Jin, the Yuzhang commandery clerk Yi Ba transformed;
Under the Jin, in Yiyang county, a woman surnamed Peng named E transformed;
Under the Jin, in Taimo county, the mother of Wu Daozong transformed;
Under the Jin, in Fuyang county, an ox transformed;
The daughter of the Flame Emperor transformed;
Transformations recorded in various biographies and miscellaneous records:
During the Qin, the shrine deity of Jiangnan Pavilion transformed;
During the Qin, in the south, there was the flying-head transformation of the fallen people (luomin);
Under the Gaoyang clan, siblings who were husband and wife transformed;
During the Wei, a barbarian in the northern mountains of Xunyang county practised sorcery and transformed;
During the Wei, the mother of Song Shi of Qinghe transformed due to bathing.

32.28

Now, the way of compassionate salvation has awed antiquity and commanded reverent gaze; the methods of penetrating transformation have from the beginning been difficult to fathom. This belongs to the great sages beyond the realm, not to the ordinary abilities within it. Exhausting it, one cannot reach its origin; probing it, one cannot reach its end. Yet, though ordinary beings and sages differ, transformation has commonalities. This truly arises because wisdom has shallows and depths, and hindrances have coarseness and subtlety; capacity has greatness and smallness, and transformation has breadth and narrowness. Surely only those who have penetrated the root of life and death can speak of transformation. If one relies upon the Buddhist teachings, one clearly believes in causes and fruits: only when causes and conditions rely upon one another are transformations achieved. If one relies upon worldly customs, they have not reached the great expanse; they believe only in condition-arising and do not depend on causal accomplishment. Therefore, the Record of Qian Bao says: 'Heaven has five qi, and the myriad things are transformed and brought to completion. The essence of wood is benevolence; the essence of fire is propriety; the essence of metal is righteousness; the essence of water is wisdom; the essence of earth is kindness. When the five qi are entirely pure, sagely virtue is complete. When wood is turbid, there is weakness; when fire is turbid, there is licentiousness; when metal is turbid, there is violence; when water is turbid, there is greed; when earth is turbid, there is obduracy. When the five qi are entirely turbid, it produces the lowest among the common people. The central lands have many sages, for harmonious qi intersect there; the remote regions have many strange creatures, for extraordinary qi produce them. If something is endowed with this qi, it must have this form; if it has this form, it must generate this nature. Therefore, those who eat grain are wise and cultivated; those who eat grass are strong and foolish; those who eat mulberry leaves produce silk and become moths; those who eat meat are brave, fierce, and intractable; those who eat earth have no mind and do not cease; those who eat qi are spiritually clear and long-lived; those who do not eat do not die and are divine. The large-waisted [wasp] has no male; the slender-waisted [wasp] has no female. Where there is no male, they copulate externally; where there is no female, they nurture externally. Insects that undergo three transformations first become pregnant and then mate; beasts that practice mutual love serve as their own male and female. The mistletoe depends on tall trees; the dodder relies on fuling. Trees root in the earth; duckweed plants itself in water. Birds part the void to fly; beasts tread on the solid to run. Insects seal themselves in the earth to hibernate; fish submerge in the deep to dwell. Those rooted in heaven incline toward the above; those rooted in earth incline toward the below; those rooted in time incline toward the horizontal—each follows its kind. A thousand-year-old pheasant enters the sea and becomes a mirage-clam; a hundred-year-old sparrow enters the river and becomes a clam. A thousand-year-old tortoise or soft-shelled turtle can speak with humans; a thousand-year-old fox rises and becomes a beautiful woman. A thousand-year-old snake, severed, can rejoin; a hundred-year-old rat can divine fortune. This is the culmination of cosmic numbers. On the spring equinox, the hawk transforms into a dove; on the autumn equinox, the dove transforms into a hawk. This is the transformation of the seasons. Therefore, decaying grass becomes fireflies; rotting reeds become crickets; rice-plants become locusts; wheat becomes butterflies. Wings sprout upon them, eyes form upon them, and mind-and-wisdom reside within them. This is transforming from the non-sentient to the sentient, and the qi is altered. The crane becomes a river-deer; the snake becomes a soft-shelled turtle; the cricket becomes a shrimp. Without losing their blood and qi, their form and nature change. Kinds such as these cannot be fully discussed. Moving in response to change is called according with the ordinary. But if they mistake their proper orientation, it becomes an omen of disaster. Therefore, when the lower body is born from the reversal of the upper qi, humans giving birth to beasts or beasts giving birth to humans are due to the confusion of qi. Men transforming into women or women transforming into men are due to the crystallization of qi. Niu Ai of Lu fell ill, and in seven days he transformed into a tiger. His physical form changed, and his claws and teeth were bared. When his elder brother was about to enter, he pounced upon him and ate him. When he was a man, he did not know he was about to become a tiger; when he was a tiger, he did not know he had once been a man. During the Taikang era of the Jin dynasty, Ruan Shi of Chenliu was bitten and injured by a pit viper. Unable to bear the pain, he repeatedly smelled his wound. Soon after, a pair of pit vipers formed inside his nose. In the Yuankang era, Ji Yuanzai of Liyang, as a guest, ate a cooked turtle. Afterward, an abdominal mass formed. A physician attacked it with medicine, and he discharged several sheng of young turtles, the size of small coins, with heads, feet, and shells complete, and patterns on their carapaces fully formed; only, having been struck by the medicine, they were already dead. Now, smelling is not the qi of transformation and nurture; the nose is not a place for gestation and pregnancy; and eating a delicacy is not an instrument for producing things. Looking at it from this: the life and death of the myriad things, as well as their transformations, unless one has thoughts that penetrate the divine, even if one seeks within oneself, how could one know whence they arise? Yet, that decaying grass becomes fireflies is due to rot; that wheat becomes butterflies is due to moisture. Thus, the transformations of the myriad things all have their causes. A farmer who would halt the transformation of wheat soaks it in ash; a sage who orders the transformations of the myriad things delivers them with the Dao. Could it be otherwise? What we perceive of events at present is certainly not yet sufficient to exhaust the utmost reaches of their transformations. These are perfumed and formed by the fundamental consciousness and miscellaneous karmas of sentient beings. When the causal seeds have ripened, the conditions borrow external forms, and both sentient and insentient things give rise to transformations according to conditions. If there were no prior seed, even if one encountered conditions, the conditions being distant and their power weak, they could not transform alone. Therefore, because the cause borrows conditions, the seed does not mature alone; because conditions borrow the cause, conditions do not manage it alone. When causes and conditions combine, their power and function match equally; the myriad kinds arise therefrom, and a single factor cannot establish anything. May future wise men not doubt these reflections of mine!

32.29

Zuo Ci, whose courtesy name was Yuanfang, was a native of Lujiang. He possessed divine arts. He was once seated with Lord Cao [Cao Cao]. The Lord said, 'At today's grand gathering, I regret only that we do not have sea bass from the Wusong River to make sashimi.' Yuanfang said, 'It can be obtained.' He asked for a bronze basin filled with water. Yuanfang baited a hook on a bamboo pole and fished in the basin. In a moment, he pulled out a sea bass. The Lord clapped his hands heartily, and all present were astonished. The Lord said, 'One fish is not enough for the whole gathering; it would be better to have two.' Yuanfang then baited the hook and fished again. In a moment he pulled it out. Both were over three feet long, fresh and lovely. The Lord had them sliced into sashimi right before their eyes and bestowed them all around the banquet. The Lord said, 'Now that we have the bass, I regret only that we do not have fresh ginger from Shu.' Yuanfang said, 'It can be obtained.' The Lord feared he would simply buy it nearby, so he said, 'I previously sent a man to Shu to buy brocade. You may order someone to tell my envoy to buy an additional two bolts.' The person departed and returned in a moment, obtaining the fresh ginger. He also said, 'I saw your envoy at the brocade shop and have already instructed him to buy two more bolts.' More than a year later, the Lord's envoy returned, and indeed he had bought two additional bolts of brocade. When asked about it, he said, 'On such a month and such a day in the past, I saw a man at the shop who instructed me with your command to buy two additional bolts of brocade.' Later, when the Lord went to the near suburbs, about a hundred scholar-officials accompanied him. Yuanfang then brought a single jar of wine and a piece of dried meat. With his own hands he tilted the jar and served wine to all the officials, and every official was drunk and sated. When the Lord returned and checked with the wine-merchants, all of their wine and dried meat had disappeared the previous day. The Lord detested him and secretly wished to kill Yuanfang. When Yuanfang was seated in the Lord's presence, as they were about to arrest him, Yuanfang stepped backward into the wall and suddenly vanished. The Lord then offered a reward for his capture. Someone saw him in the marketplace and tried to arrest him, but everyone in the market had the same appearance as Yuanfang. Later, someone saw Yuanfang at the top of Mount Yangcheng. A traveler pursued him, and Yuanfang walked into a flock of sheep. The traveler knew that Yuanfang was among the sheep and said to him, 'Lord Cao will no longer kill you. He only wished to test your arts. Now that they are verified, he merely wishes to meet with you.' Suddenly, an old ram among the sheep bent its two front knees, stood upright like a man, and said, 'Why such haste?' The man immediately said, 'This sheep is him!' They vied to go and seize it, but all the several hundred sheep turned into rams, all bent their front knees, stood upright like men, and said, 'Why such haste?' Thereupon no one knew which one to seize. Laozi said, 'The reason I have great misfortune is because I have a body. When I have no body, what misfortune could I have?' Those of Laozi's kind can truly be called able to have no body. Is this not profound?

32.30

When the daughter of the Emperor died on Mount Sheduo, she transformed into a strange herb. Its leaves grew in clusters, its flowers were yellow, and its fruit was like dodder seeds. Therefore, those who consume this strange herb are always beloved by people.

32.31

In the thirty-third year of King Xuan of Zhou, King You was born. In this year, a horse transformed into a fox.

32.32

In the second year of Duke Xian of Jin, King Hui of Zhou resided in Zheng. The people of Zheng entered the royal treasury and took many [weapons], which transformed into yuxi [sand-spitting beasts] that shot at people. Chang Hong was put to death; the people of Shu preserved his blood, and after three years it turned into green jade.

32.33

During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han, the mother of the Huang family of Jiangxia was bathing in a basin of water. After remaining prone for a long time without getting up, she transformed into a soft-shelled turtle. A maid ran in terror to report it. By the time the family arrived, the turtle had turned and entered the deep pool. Thereafter, it appeared from time to time. When she had first bathed, she had worn a silver hairpin, which was still on its head. Thereupon, for successive generations, the Huang family did not dare to eat turtle meat.

32.34

On the last day of the sixth month in the first year of the Baoding era of Wu, the mother of Xuan Qian of Danyang was eighty years old. She too, because of bathing in a pond, transformed into a soft-shelled turtle, her appearance being like that of the Huang woman. Qian and his three brothers closed the doors to guard her. They dug a large pit in the hall and poured water into it. The turtle went into the water and swam about. For a day or two, it constantly extended its neck and looked out, waiting for the door to open slightly; it then spun around, leapt forward into the deep pool, and never returned.

32.35

Gun of the Xia was the father of a Son of Heaven; Ruyi, Prince of Zhao, was the son of the founder of the Han. Yet Gun became a yellow bear, and Ruyi became a dark blue dog.

32.36

In the third year of King Xiang of Wei, there was a woman whose head transformed first into that of a man; she took a wife and gave birth to a child. Therefore, Jing Fang's Commentary on the Changes says: 'A woman transforming into a man is called yin prospering; a base person will become king. A man transforming into a woman is called yin overcoming yang; the retribution is ruin.'

32.37

During the Jianping era of the Han, in Yuzhang, there was a man who transformed into a woman; she married a man as his wife and bore a son. Chen Feng of Chang'an said, 'Yang changing into yin portends the loss of heirs. Bearing one son means it will last for one more generation and then be cut off.' Therefore, it caused Emperor Ai to collapse and Emperor Ping to perish, and Wang Mang usurped the throne.

32.38

In the seventh year of the Jian'an era of the Han, in Yuexi, there was a man who transformed into a woman. Zhou Qun said, 'During the time of Emperor Ai, there was also this anomaly; it portends a change of dynasties.' In the twenty-fifth year, Emperor Xian was enfeoffed as the Duke of Shanyang.

32.39

During the Yuankang era of the Jin, in Anfeng, there was a woman named Zhou Shining. At eight years old, she gradually transformed into a man, and by the age of seventeen or eighteen, her male constitution and nature were established. But her female body had not transformed entirely, and her male body was not fully complete. She took a wife but had no children.

32.40

During the reigns of Emperors Hui and Huai of the Jin, in the capital Luoyang, there was a person whose single body had both male and female forms. This person could engage in relations as both and was especially fond of licentiousness. The military turmoil under heaven arose because the qi of male and female were confused and monstrous forms were produced. During the Restoration era, there was also a woman whose genitals were on her belly, living in Yangzhou; she was also by nature fond of lust. Therefore, Jing Fang's Changes says: 'If an anomalous human gives birth to a child with genitals on the head, the world will be in great chaos. If on the belly, the world will face disturbances. If on the back, the world will be without descendants.'

32.41

In the ninth month of the first year of Emperor Jing of the Han, a man from Xiami in Jiaodong, who was over seventy years old, grew horns, and the horns sprouted hair. Therefore, Jing Fang's Commentary on the Changes says: 'When the governance of the prime minister is deficient, anomalous humans grow horns.' The Treatise on the Five Phases considered that humans ought not to grow horns, just as the feudal lords ought not to take up arms against the capital. Afterward, the Rebellion of the Seven States arose.

32.42

In the first year of the Huanglong era of Emperor Xuan of the Han, in the Luling stables of the Weiyang Palace, a hen transformed into a rooster; its plumage also changed, but it did not crow, did not lead [the flock], and had no spurs. In the Chuyuan era of Emperor Yuan, in the household of a clerk in the Chancellor's office, a hen transformed into a rooster, complete with comb and spurs, and it began to crow and lead. During the Yongguang era, someone presented a rooster that had grown horns. The Treatise on the Five Phases considered this a portent of the Wang clan.

32.43

In the fourth year of the Taikang era of the Jin, in Kuaiji Commandery, fiddler crabs and river crabs all transformed into rats. Their swarms covered the fields and caused disaster by devouring the rice crops. When first formed, they had fur and flesh but no bones, and when moving they could not cross the field dykes; after several days, they were all robust. In the sixth year, a two-legged tiger was captured in Nanyang. A tiger is of the yin essence yet abides in yang; it is a metal beast. Nanyang is the name for fire. The essence of metal entering fire and losing its form was an omen of turmoil in the royal house.

32.44

When Confucius was trapped in Chen, he was playing the stringed instrument and singing in the lodge. At night, there was a man more than nine feet tall, dressed in black robes and wearing a high cap, who shouted loudly, shaking those on his left and right. Zigong stepped forward and asked, "Who are you?" [The man] thereupon seized Zigong and held him under his arm. Zilu drew [the man] outside and fought with him in the courtyard. After some time, neither had prevailed. Confucius observed him and saw that between the gaps in his armor, [the joints] occasionally opened to the width of a palm. Confucius said, "Why not reach into the gaps of his armor, pull [him], and strike vigorously?" Zilu did so, sinking his hands in, and [the man] collapsed to the ground. It was indeed a great catfish, over nine feet long. Confucius sighed and said, "Why has this creature come? I have heard that when things grow old, multitudes of spirits take refuge in them. It arrives by taking advantage of decline; why has it come here? Could it be because I have met with hardship, our provisions are exhausted, and my followers are ill? Truly, when the six domestic animals, as well as turtles, snakes, fish, softshell turtles, grasses, and trees grow old, spirits all rely on them and can cause anomalies. Therefore they are called the 'five mature ones' (you). The 'five mature ones' are those things that belong to the directions of the five elements. 'You' means old. Thus, when things grow old, they become monstrous. If one slays them, it ends there. What is there to worry about? Perhaps Heaven does not wish this culture to perish, and has tied my life to this? If not, why would it have arrived here?" He did not cease his playing and singing. Zilu cooked it; its flavor was rich, and those who were ill arose. The next day, they set forth. (The above thirteen verifications are from the Soushen ji.)

32.45

During the Jin dynasty, Yi Ba was a minor official of Yuzhang commandery. During the Yixi reign era, he completed his term of duty and returned home, but absconded and would not return. The commandery sent [messengers] to pursue him. When they saw Ba, his speech was as usual, and he also prepared food for them. The messengers urged him to pack his belongings. Ba then said to them, "Look at my face." Thereupon they saw that the corners of his eyes were distended and his body had yellow stripes. He then raised one foot and walked straight out the door. His home had formerly leaned against the mountain for shelter. When he reached the deer, he transformed into a three-legged large tiger, and the leg he had raised became its tail. (This one verification is from the Yiyuan.)

32.46

During the Yongjia disturbances of the Jin dynasty, commanderies and counties had no fixed masters, and the strong and weak abused each other. In Yiyang county, there was a woman named Peng E. More than ten members of her household—parents and brothers—were killed by bandits from Changsha. At the time, E was carrying a vessel to draw water at the stream. Hearing that the bandits had arrived, she ran back, only to see that the earthen walls had already been breached. Overcome with grief, she struggled with the bandits. The bandits bound E, drove her to the bank of the stream, and were about to kill her. At the edge of the stream was a great mountain, with stone cliffs several tens of zhang high. E looked up and cried out, "Does August Heaven possess a spirit or not? For what crime must I suffer this?" She then ran toward the mountain. The mountain instantly opened wide by several zhang, with a level road smooth as a whetstone. The band of bandits pursued E into the mountain as well. The mountain then collapsed and shut together, silent and smooth as before. The bandits were all crushed to death inside the mountain with their heads sticking out. E thereupon vanished and did not emerge again. The water-drawing vessel that E had dropped transformed into a stone shaped like a chicken. The locals consequently called it Stone Chicken Mountain, and the water E Pool. (This one verification is from the Youming lu.)

32.47

In the fourth year of the Yixi reign era of the Jin dynasty, Wu Daozong of Taimo county in Dongyang commandery lost his father at an early age. He lived alone with his mother and had no wife or children yet. Zong was hired out as a laborer and was not at home. A neighbor heard a loud, crashing sound in their house. Peering in, he did not see the mother, but only a black-striped tiger inside the house. The villagers were alarmed and frightened, fearing that the tiger had entered the house and eaten his mother. They beat drums and gathered people to go together to rescue her. Surrounding the residence, they rushed in, but saw no tiger; they saw only his mother, whose speech was as usual, and they could not fathom the meaning of it. When her son returned, the mother said to him, "I am pursued by past sins and must undergo a transformation." A month later, the mother disappeared. Within the county borders, tiger calamities frequently arose, and everyone said it was the mother, the black-striped tiger. The common people, suffering from this, dispatched men to fight and strike it. It killed several people. Later, someone shot the tiger with a white hawk and pierced its belly with a halberd, yet they could not capture it immediately. After several days, the tiger returned to its former bed in its home, unable to resume human form. It collapsed on the bed and died. Her son wailed and wept, following the rites for burying his mother, weeping and mourning for her morning and night. (This one verification is from the Qixie ji.)

32.48

In the Jin dynasty, a boy from a household of commoners in Fuyang county was tending oxen. An ox suddenly licked him, and wherever it licked, the boy's flesh turned completely white. Shortly thereafter, the boy died. His family buried the boy and slaughtered the ox to provide for the guests. In all, more than twenty men and women who ate this ox meat completely transformed into tigers. (This one verification is from Gu Wei's Guangzhou jilu.)

32.49

Nüwa, the daughter of the Flame Emperor (Yandi), was playing in the Eastern Sea when she drowned and died, transforming into the Jingwei bird. Its shape was like a crow; it constantly carried twigs and stones from the western mountains in its beak to fill in the Eastern Sea. (堙 means to block up; its pronunciation is *yin*.) Kuafu raced with the sun; parched, he drank from the Yellow River, but the River went dry and was insufficient, so he went north to drink from the Great Marsh. Before reaching it, he died on the road. The staff he cast away transformed into the Deng Forest. (The above three verifications are from the Shanhai jing.)

32.50

The Bowu zhi states: "Pine resin sinking into the earth for a thousand years transforms into tuckahoe (fuling). Tuckahoe for a thousand years transforms into amber. Amber is also called 'river pearl' (jiangzhu). Nowadays, Mount Tai has tuckahoe but no amber; Yongchang in Yizhou produces amber but no tuckahoe. Some also say that it is made by burning bee nests. It is not clear which of these two explanations is correct." The Shennong bencao jing states: "Take an eggshell whose yolk and white are scrambled together, and boil it thoroughly. While it is still soft, carve it at will into various objects, and soak it in bitter vinegar. After several nights it becomes hard. Coat it with powder inside, and the counterfeit will be confused with the genuine." (This is commonly used in the world, and nothing made from it fails.)

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese